"Amid trade season, it can be easy to overlook the true meaning behind basketball. To forget what our favourite sports team ignites in us that we love so much. We've all done it. It's easy when you're watching a game, scanning a box score, or playing around in the trade machine to forget that there's real people behind the game we all love."
"In the Moda Center last night, a faint "Let's go Raptors" chant could be heard echoing throughout the building, growing louder as the Raptors accelerated to a 110-98 win. As the game came to its close, the cheering Raptors' fans were the only ones left to be heard. And as the players headed to the locker room, the broadcast panned to Scottie Barnes, beaming from ear to ear, stopped in front of their section, egging on their cheers."
"Look at the excitement! Players and fans together as one for a moment of pure, unfiltered, joy. A reminder of why we all love this sport so damn much. It brings us together, running deeper than we all do individually. "That was awesome. I heard that that group ... last 11 years they [have been] making a trip to come and support [the] Toronto Raptors. There was a group of 25 of them and it was awesome seeing them before the game singing [the] national anthem and supporting the team. It's really special, it's really cool.""
Trade season and roster talk can reduce players to statistics and transactions, obscuring the human side of basketball. A Raptors win in Portland revealed the deeper emotional bond between team and fans through chants, celebration, and player engagement. Scottie Barnes directly acknowledged and amplified fan support by stopping to egg on their cheers after the game. Longstanding fan groups traveled together and sang the national anthem, then were invited backstage to join celebrations. Those interactions created an unfiltered moment of shared joy that underscores why people remain devoted to the sport.
Read at Raptors Republic
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